Archive for the ‘Stats & Trends’ Category

Search Mobile Computing compiled a list of some of their top mobile tips from 2007.  If you’re thinking of adding a mobile strategy to your online campaign then I certainly recommend checking these out:

Using 3G phones for laptop Internet
By Lisa Phifer
Most workers who choose 3G wireless will either buy a new laptop with embedded 3G or add a new 3G card to an existing laptop. But don’t overlook a third option that just might prove less expensive: using a 3G phone for laptop Internet access. Learn benefits and drawbacks, as well as how to configure tethering between your 3G and laptop, in this tip.

iPhone in the enterprise: Can it replace a BlackBerry?
By Rik Ahlberg
How will the iPhone fit in the enterprise? We challenged our expert to put the iPhone through a series of tests to see how well it integrates, whether it’s manageable, and whether its email, calendar and contact features can replace a BlackBerry.

Windows Mobile emulator for device testing
By Brien M. Posey
A Windows Mobile emulator can simplify mobile device testing without costing a lot of money. Whether you are attempting to develop a new mobile application, test a mobile networking configuration, or experiment with mobile device security, testing with mobile devices tends to be a pricey endeavor. There are not only the costs associated with purchasing the necessary mobile devices but also the cost of the air time used during the tests. Learn how to install and deploy the emulator in this tip.

Planning your mobile strategy
By Jack Gold
Most companies have substantially increased their mobile workforce over the past year or two as mobile technology has become less costly and more capable but do you have a strategy in place for a successful deployment or workforce expansion? In this executive overview Jack Gold offers you advice for creating a mobile strategy committee and conducting a strategy workshop to help you achieve a successful mobile deployment. Find out how this approach can benefit your organization today.

Mobile device management — Practical techniques
By Craig Mathias
A well-thought-out mobile device management strategy is often the key to the success or failure not just of a given mobile deployment but of an IT department overall. In this tip, Craig Mathias provides a checklist of key elements for your mobile device management strategy.

Mobile devices: Corporate security strategies
By Lisa Phifer
According to analysts, companies grappling with mobile/wireless security are expected to take a hit from improper use and mobile malware attacks resulting in real business interruption. Fortunately, most of these exploits will take advantage of vulnerabilities that are identifiable and resolvable. In this tip, examine business strategies for securing mobile wireless devices.

Policies for mobile computing
By Craig Mathias
Mobile computing policies are critical to maintaining the integrity of your organization. While there are several variables in what constitutes a mobile policy, the advice in this column will help you define your needs and understand the core requirements every organization should have in place, regardless of your mobile penetration.

Mobile data services — A checklist of considerations
By Paul DeBeasi
Analyzing and selecting a mobile data service can be a daunting task. This tip provides a checklist of the major factors to consider when evaluating mobile data services (GSM, CDMA and WiMAX).

Mobile management - An insightful eight part series
By Daniel Taylor
Corporate mobile management is necessary for turning a mobile device deployment into a successful enterprise resource. In this tip, Dan Taylor lays the groundwork for his latest series, which helps mobile decision makers to understand key issues for mobile and device management and assists in resolving challenges in mobile management.

Mobile security: Top oversights
By Kevin Beaver
Mobile security oversights caused by workers and building visitors can keep the network at risk even after other security measures are in place.

We all know that Mobile Search is the next big thing.  Frankly I’m surprised that it’s not bigger than it is right now.  New devices and apps are starting to bring mobile local search beyond just an early adopter medium.  Mobile Search is starting to catch on in North America…. you might want to hold on, because it’s going to be a wild ride.

Michael Boland at Search Engine Watch  has posted a great piece on Mobile Local Search where he comments that, “The next 36 months will be mobile local search’s turn to shine.”  We think that is is 100% accurate with this statement.  With all due respect, we thought that Michael’s article was tremendous and as a result have posted it below in it’s entirety:

Mobile Local Search: A Perfect Storm 

By Michael Boland, Search Engine Watch, Jan 25, 2008The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) showcased the first few devices that run Google’s much anticipated Android operating system.

Among the prototypes exhibited was the GW4 from Chinese mobile company Winstron, which has a 2.5-inch touch screen, WiFi capability, a 2MP camera, full QWERTY keyboard, Internet browser, weather, e-mail client, and MP3 player.

Inflection Point of Mobile Local Search

These are the first physical signs of what will be a major inflection point in the history of mobile devices and mobile local search. To be fair, the iPhone played a large part in this inflection point and laid the groundwork for it to happen.

Specifically, Android and the iPhone will erode the carrier control that has stifled innovation in the mobile world thus far. Until now, any incentive to innovate mobile applications was killed by the requirement to pass through the filter of each individual carrier for various model phones and operating systems. Telephone companies proved not to be the best arbiters of product innovation (duh).

So what’s different now? The adoption of open and standardized platforms (both Android and the iPhone’s SDK to be released next month) will open the floodgates of innovation and make it easy for third-party application developers to bring their apps to market.

The splash made by the iPhone, combined with the cache of Apple and Google, has caused carriers to play ball. Apple bagged AT&T, the largest U.S. mobile phone carrier for the iPhone; Google’s open handset alliance (announced in tandem with Android) contains 30 members including carriers (Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile) device makers (Motorola, Samsung), online companies (eBay), and chip makers (Intel).

Upward Mobility

The level of open and decentralized innovation that Android will enable is similar to that we’ve seen flourish on the Web. There’s a great deal in store for mobile search and entertainment apps. Local search and mobile search, a hand in hand relationship, will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of this new mobile environment.

Software and operating systems aside, we’re also reaching new standards in hardware as the bar has been significantly raised by the iPhone. Given new hardware paradigms such as touch screens, new applications are possible, such as advanced mapping and Web browsing. Give it time for new hardware standards to inspire even more software interfaces and functionality that we haven’t thought of yet.

Local Mobile Search: Beyond Early Adopters

More importantly, the iPhone’s splash will make these devices and apps reach the mainstream and bring mobile local search beyond an early adopter medium, where it’s teetered for years. Larger screens, touch screen functionality, and the ability to view Web pages in their full (non-WAP) HTML versions, is creating a level of appeal we’ve never seen before in mobile devices.

This is a level that will be great enough to convert the masses to mobile search, compared to today’s inferior standards (WAP browsers, small screens, small keypads) that have only been able to attract a relatively meager set of early adopters. This mass appeal will also accelerate as prices come down and copycat devices enter the market to compete on price. We’ve already seen an iPhone clone from Verizon.

This perfect storm of factors has finally happened and will bring the mobile search world where it needs to be. There’s no going back. Rising usability standards and corresponding usage growth are the first steps that we’re seeing now.

More substantial monetization strategies are less clear, but they’ll follow. The Kelsey Group’s U.S. mobile forecast calls for mobile ad revenues (consisting of Ad-Sponsored Voice Services, Mobile Search and Browse and Multi-Modal Applications) to grow from $33.7 million to $1.42 billion by 2011, a 116 percent compound annual growth rate.

Think of it this way: The mobile local search industry at this moment is where the online local search industry was circa 2004. Since then we’ve seen a great deal of attention and investment (and some hot air), devoted to local search.

The next 36 months will be mobile local search’s turn to shine.

There are a number of reports that you can obtain on World Wide Internet Usage data. For example, if you wanted to examine trends in the mobile market, you can order the 2007 Global Mobile Communication - Statistics, Trends and Forecasts report.

The 164 page report offers a wealth of information on the worldwide mobile communications industry and includes some interesting facts. The report also contains some information on regional mobile markets as well. The report includes items such as:

• Mobile infrastructure and developments;
• Mobile revenue;
• Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) and call charges;
• Mobile subscriber statistics including prepaid;
• Termination rates, roaming and Mobile Number Portability (MNP);
• Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO);
• Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC);
• Bluetooth & Ultra Wide-band (UWB);
• Mobile spectrum;
• Mobile Satellite Services (MSS);
• Regional overviews

The next publication date is scheduled for February 2008. Reports can be found here.